Bhasha Samman, translation prizes given

THE BHASHA Samman and translation prizes of the Sahitya Akademi were given away at an intellectually woven function inundated with literary geniuses and prolific translators at Bharat Bhavan on Wednesday. The literary fraternity from diverse culture background congregated to knit a linguistic and cultural bond for enriching the literary landscape.

THE BHASHA Samman and translation prizes of the Sahitya Akademi were given away at an intellectually woven function inundated with literary geniuses and prolific translators at Bharat Bhavan on Wednesday. The literary fraternity from diverse culture background congregated to knit a linguistic and cultural bond for enriching the literary landscape.

A total of four persons were decorated with the Bhasha Samman Award, while as many as 22 persons were felicitated with the Bhasha Samman Translation prizes.

Before the programme got kick-started, a one-minute silence was observed to pay homage to noted Malayali writer Prof Ayappa Panickar.

The programme later took its route with the rendition of a bhajan. Delivering his welcome speech A K Murthy, Secretary Sahitya Akademi said that a translator invades, extracts and diligently decodes the original work. Translation is fundamentally a ‘ transplantation’ of one language to another.

Literature could be strengthened only if the varied work of vernacular language were enriched. “This is possible only through translation because translation transcends language barriers.”

In his presidential address, Prof Gopi Chand Narang, President Sahitya Akademi, said that two new languages—Karbi and Angami—have been included in the cluster of languages for the translation prizes. With this the total number of languages pegs at 23.

Enumerating the importance of translation, Prof Narang said that in the common parlance translation activity, as opposed to the original text, was always considered secondary.

“If you handle translation with love and care, your translation becomes a creative act. It is the approach, the inner urge, the divine touch of the writer,the translator that makes a text creative or uncreative,” Prof Narang said. “The consciousness of literary awakening can be brought about only by spiraling the translation related activities,” he added.

Eminent writer Ramesh Chand Shah, who was the chief guest on the occasion, defined translation as ‘love’s labour’ and an absolutely necessary ingredient of national culture. “The teaching of our language and literature is endangered today. We must remember that only a robust and self-confident civilization can create a high culture of translation,” he said. Noted Malayalam writer M T Vasudevan Nair gave the vote of thanks.